Eleven educators from St Francis schools in Msida, Cospicua and Birkirkara recently took part in an educational study tour in Tampere, Finland, as part of an Erasmusplus project. The study tour was organised and coordinated by Learning Scoop Finland, an educational institution in Tampere that specialises in courses, workshops and study tours for educators.
Finland’s education system is renowned for its excellent performances in the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA). Participants in the tour had the opportunity to become familiar with the Finnish education system and the factors influencing its success.
The study tour included visits to several Finnish schools and education institutions. It also gave participants an overview of Finland’s education system, society and culture, and an up-close-and-personal view of daily life in a Finnish classroom.
Several members of Learning Scoop delivered lectures about the country’s education system, curriculum and assessment, lesson planning tools for educators, inclusive education, management and cooperation in basic education.
Visits were conducted to five schools at pre-primary, primary and comprehensive levels and specialised schools. The educators were also given the chance to talk with the principals, vice-principals and teachers of the schools they visited.
The teaching profession in Finland enjoys a high status, is respected and is very popular. Finnish teachers are highly qualified and constantly update their skills and improving their competence. They are both trusted and valued as professionals who know what is best for their students.
In the Finnish education system, there is a culture of trust and cooperation rather than control. Teachers are allowed a great deal of independence, and these well-educated professionals are left free to decide on pedagogic procedures.
In the Finnish education system, teachers are allowed a great deal of independence, and left free to decide on pedagogic procedures
The Finnish National Core Curriculum is based on a concept of learning that sees the pupils as active actors who learn to set goals and to solve problems both independently and together with others. Learning is an inseparable part of an individual’s growth as a human being and the building of a decent life for the community. Language, physical elements and the use of different senses are essential for thinking and learning.
While acquiring new knowledge and skills, the pupils learn to reflect on their learning, experiences and emotions. Positive emotional experiences, the joy of learning and creative activities promote the acquisition of knowledge and inspire the pupils to develop their competence.
Learning takes place in interaction with other pupils, the teachers and other adults, and various communities and learning environments. It involves doing things both alone and together, thinking, planning, exploring and assessing these processes in a versatile manner. The pupils’ willingness to act and learn together and improving their skills in doing so are keys to the learning process.
These three Church schools of the Franciscan Congregation are embracing innovation and change in education. The educators at the schools aim to keep working in unison to discuss and put into practice some of the ideas that emanated from the study tour.
The study tour was supported by the European Union Programmes Agency (EUPA) through the Erasmusplus programme.